Scotland, fine. But an EU vote is a huge risk

The battle lines are drawn in Scotland. Alex Salmond wants to be a 21st-century Braveheart, leading his people to freedom. He signed a deal with David Cameron yesterday that means a referendum on independence will take place in the autumn of 2014. There will be only one question on the ballot paper — in or out of the United Kingdom — and 16 and 17-year-olds will be allowed to vote.

Michael Forsyth, a Conservative former Scottish Secretary, claims that his leader has behaved like “Pontius Pilate” and “washed his hands of Scotland”. In fact, the Prime Minister has almost certainly saved the Union by forcing the Scottish National Party to hold a simple “yes or no” referendum. All the polls indicate that, faced with a…